It is generally believed the lighter you travel, the better it is.
But for the monarchs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, that apparently is not the case.
According to reports by the British media, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, on his three-day trip to Moscow, has taken with him hundreds of kilograms of food items, two luxury Mercedes cars, his favourite carpet, and even his private escalators made of gold.
Not just this but the king is accompanied by 1500 members of staff, out of which 150 are royal chefs.
While the total weight of King Salman’s luggage is estimated to be almost 400 tons, the 81-year-old Saudi monarch has reserved two hotels in Russia, which reports claim will cost him around 3 million dollars.
Before this tour Daily Telegraph reported on 1 MARCH 2017
Descending regally from his private plane in a customised gold-coloured escalator, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud began the first visit in almost 50 years of a Saudi leader to the world’s most populous Muslim nation, Indonesia, on Wednesday.
The Saudi monarch clearly did not view the visit lightly. Accompanied by an entourage of 1,500, including 25 princes and several government ministers, King Salman also brought 459 tonnes of luggage for his nine day trip.
Two elevators and two Mercedes Benz S600s were included among the travel essentials for his three day visit to the capital, Jakarta, which will be followed by six days of “relaxing” in the popular holiday resort of Bali.
The Indonesians, who hope the visit will bring Saudi investments of up to $25 billion, were equally eager to impress. Enthusiastic crowds, including tens of thousands of students, lined the route of his heavily guarded motorcade to the presidential Bogor palace.
Jakarta’s governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama greeting Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz
Jakarta’s governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama greeting Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz CREDIT: AGUS SUPARTO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Great care was taken to cover statues of naked men and women in the palace grounds, out of courtesy to the Saudi visitors.
King Salman and his entourage will be staying in four luxury hotels in central Jarkata, with about 10,000 security personnel deployed to protect them.
The plane carrying Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz lands at Halim airport in Jakarta
The plane carrying Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdul Aziz lands at Halim airport in Jakarta CREDIT: BAY ISMOYO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
More than 150 chefs are on hand to provide 24/7 halal Middle Eastern and local food, including grilled seafood and exotic fruits.
On Thursday the king, 81, is scheduled to give a ten minute speech at the House of Representatives. He will also visit the Istiqal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, where a new toilet has been added for the occasion.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arrives at Halim Perdana Kusuma airport
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud arrives at Halim Perdana Kusuma airport CREDIT: JEFTA IMAGES / BARCROFT IMAGES
The last visit by a Saudi king to Indonesia was 47 years ago when King Faisal came to the archipelago.
“This is an extremely historic visit for us,” said Indonesian Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung.
Indonesia expects to sign agreements with Saudi Arabia on raising the frequency of flights from the Middle East and increasing visitor numbers.
The King’s motorcade CREDIT: EDI ISMAIL / BARCROFT IMAGES
Indonesia is the second stop in a tour of Asia countries to advance the kingdom’s economic and business interests.
On his first stop in Malaysia, Saudi Aramco signed a $7 billion deal to take a 50 per cent stake in a Malaysian oil refinery. King Salman will also visit Brunei, Japan, China and the Maldives.
